Nintendo Power V230
This is the July 2008 issue of Nintendo Power, the 230th issue. Its cover story was for the game, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, coming soon to DS. It also discussed the new addition to the Raving Rabbids series, TV Party, which is supported for gameplay with the Wii Balance Board, new Dragon Quests for DS, Viva Pinata DS, Ninjatown, and new EA Sports All-Play games for Wii. Cover Story A preview of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia gave a wide overview of what to expect in Konami's latest entry in the classic series. The name of the game refers to a group called the Ecclesia, an organization who are working to rid of Dracula in a time when the Belmonts have seemingly vanished. The protagonist and the most powerful member of the Ecclesa is a girl named Shanoa. The source of Shanoa's powers comes from objects called Glyph's. When Shanoa finds a Glyph she can absorb its power and then assign it to either the Y or X button like a weapon. Some Glyph's can be combined as dual weapons for a combo effect, and combining two of the same Glyphs can create devastating attacks called Glyph Unions. Glyphs can also be used in non-combative ways. One example in the article explains how Shanoa can slingshot herself to different places using magnetic fields while another example states that she could walk through walls. All Glyphs require magic points, except for Glyph Unions, which require hearts. There are many new features in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia not found in previous Castlevania games. Shanoa won't just explore Dracula's castle but will also explore locations outside the castle, something many Castlevania protagonists have never done. She travels from one destination to the next in search for Albus, a former member of the Ecclesia. Albus stole Dominus, the "supreme Glyph" that can help vanquish Dracula though the reason for why he stole it is unknown. Throughout her adventure, Shanoa will meet villagers who will give her optional sidequests to go on (all of which are recorded within the menu options). The artwork of the game has been changed dramatically from anime-style to more serious and somber illustrations. Of course, a major change from past Castlevania's is that of a female protagonist, the first since 1998's Castlevania Legends. Producer Koji Igarashi said that the reason for this was because they "received many requests from fans to have a female heroine" and jokingly that "our designer put a lot of effort in designing the skirt animation for Persephone in previous games and we wanted to raise his morale." Other Highlights The Wii Channels had an interview with "Strong Bad" for the new WiiWare game, SBCG4AP, Toki Tori, and new WiiWare games coming soon from Hudson. Virtual Console games were: Double Dragon, Fantasy Zone, Mega Turrican, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom, River City Ransom, Pokémon Puzzle League, and Renegade. The issue had reviews for LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for DS and Wii, Arkanoid DS, Cake Mania 2, Death Jr.: Root of Evil, Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, GRID, Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor, Mega Man Star Force 2, Mister Slime, Soul Bubbles, and Space Invaders Extreme. Reviews Trivia This is the first issue to discuss Conker's Bad Fur Day since its release in 2001. See also *Nintendo Power *Nintendo Power Volumes Category:Nintendo Power